EPILOGUE TO THE LAST GUARDIAN
by Mark Gorospe
Note: I am not the original author of the Artemis Fowl series. All the opinions expressed are my own and not of the author.
Two weeks had gone by since Artemis' return to the land of the living. He was greeted with much rejoicing by his parents, the twins, and Juliet. Holly and Butler were of course present at his awakening. No one outside their small circle of family and friends knew the details of his death so there was no need to explain to the rest of the world the sudden reappearance of the lost son. There were rumors of the heir to the Fowl estate meeting an untimely end, but once they learned of his return the people tending the plots to which the grounds were subdivided discounted the news of his death as just that – a rumor.
Explaining how the previous Enemy of the People returned from the dead was going to be tricky. It was much easier to hide what really happened because of the lack of communication and surveillance at the time – everything had broken down due to Opal. Eventually Foaly was able to convince the rest of the elves that Artemis' reported death and burial was a ruse to throw any remaining attackers off the hunt, and that the (now) young man who saved the world from disaster was grievously wounded but had taken these many months to recover from his injuries.
The same explanation was given to the Fowl family, who although they were much more incredulous after seeing their boy's body being lowered into the ground, were more than willing to accept the story, so overjoyed were they on seeing how Artemis was restored to them.
Butler and Holly were at the young man's side all the time. His strength and coordination improved quickly enough that he was able to go through his daily activities unassisted. The two friends took turns keeping Artemis company, relating to him the events of the past several years as much as they knew.
Artemis had kept the disc he gave Mulch to remind him of his memories before his mind wipe. That helped him remember some of what transpired during the earlier years of his dealings with the People. He also went over the memoirs he had written over the years.
Of Artemis' mind they had no doubt of the return of its prodigious capabilities. In one of his quieter moments they noticed Artemis reading up on nuclear fusion, and Artemis commenting later, "This may be the future of energy! We can easily construct smaller generators to power a small city. If only I had Foaly's resources..." they heard him muttering.
Despite all these improvements, Holly and Butler still did not believe Artemis was fully recovered. Nothing can replace the details of one's experiences, they understood, and the return of all his memories had to come from within. His emotional response to the events they recounted was also minimal, perhaps because he did not feel connected to them yet.
A full moon was coming up, and Holly needed to perform the Ritual. She didn't have too much to use magic on but as she learned the hard way on numerous occasions what it was like not to have herself at full capacity. It was best to top it off when she had a chance.
She sent a message to Foaly who at that time was having dinner with his dear wife, asking if he thought the coast was clear at her favorite site. Foaly responded, after a few minutes, "Good to hear from you, Holly. I scanned the area as we finally have been able to communicate with the satellites. I can guarantee there wont be any mudmen, er, people for miles around. The skies are clear. It should be beautiful out tonight." "Thanks again for the help, Foaly," Holly responded.
The centaur had talked to Holly only a few times the preceding two weeks and he could sense the utter dejection in his friend's voice. "Holly, how is Artemis' recovery coming along?"
Holly's answer confirmed what he thought he heard in his voice. "He has some of his memories back, at least for the big events. Butler and I have filled him in on some of the details and whatever he's been able to learn from his own log. There are still many gaps which only Artemis can know. Although he now knows most of what happened the past few years, he doesn't feel connected to those events. Oh, he's mostly back to the Artemis we've seen before his... ", here she paused, "before he left us for half a year. He recognizes friends and isn't scheming to rob anyone, but he seems somehow detached. I'm... We're still looking for the key to unlock the friend we know. Every now and then I feel we're about to see something happen, but then he slips back into himself." Her worry over his condition was evident in the tone of her voice.
Foaly felt his friend's misery. He had become very fond of this strange but brilliant human whom he first thought was the greatest enemy of the People, but later proved he was good deep down inside, helping out on numerous occasions and making the ultimate sacrifice to prevent a disaster. He was fond of him enough to create Artemis' clone in which his soul now resided. Besides, to whom else could he brag about his inventions? No one else understood Foaly's excited ramblings.
"Holly, don't lose hope. I'm sure we'll find something to bring him back. If there's anyone who can help Artemis it's you and Butler. You two know him the best. Be safe and talk to me whenever you feel like it."
Holly felt somewhat better after that comforting talk with a good friend. She was adjusting her suit and checking out her wings when Artemis walked in. "Hi Artemis, I was just going to tell you I will be out for a short trip to recharge my magic, just in case."
She saw some disappointment in the young man's face – he did have the same expression whenever she turned in for the night after spending the day with him. "Not sure if I told you but we have to top off our magic by performing the Ritual ..."
"... on a full moonlit night, under ancient oak tree at a river bend," he completed. They were both pleasantly surprised at this interruption. "Sorry, that just slipped out. Wish there were more of those intrusions," and he smiled, eliciting a similar response from his companion. "Tonight should be perfect for a short flight. The night is clear and there's your full moon." Of course it also helped there were no helicopters or low flying airplanes in this remote area since the recent civilization crash.
The disappointment on Artemis' face gave Holly a sudden idea. "Would you like to join me? You can see how the Ritual is done, and we can get you out of the house for a change of scenery." Artemis assented that this sounded like a great idea, as he was extremely curious how this actually looked like. He had reread his digital copy of The Book in the past two weeks so he knew how it was done but didn't remember what The Ritual actually looked like. The disappointed look on his face was replaced by a look of anticipation, much like a child about to open a present on Christmas morning.
"We'll need to stay invisible." So she wrapped Artemis in the cam foil, attached a belt around him by one of the pitons on her moonbelt and they flew off. She herself was shielded so no human out on even this moonlit night would ever see anything suspicious. Artemis felt the exhilaration of flying. I remember my great joy in not being earthbound, he thought, and thought with regret of the solar powered plane he had constructed, now lying in a heap somewhere on the manor grounds. Perhaps I might get my memories back soon, as I seem to be feeling quite a bit of emotion tonight.
After a short flight they landed at the same place where Artemis and Butler had waylaid Holly, many years ago. It was as Foaly had predicted – the moon was full and illuminated the area with a soft glow, the stars were as shining gems (there wasn't light pollution yet as electricity was still available to very few), and the only sound was that of the quietly flowing river and a few crickets. The ancient oak tree by the riverbend lifted its magnificent branches into the clear night sky.
The spot was truly enchanted. Holly, being an elf felt the strong pull, and even Artemis as a human experienced an uplifting in the very depths of his heart. They spoke in hushed voices, unwilling to disturb the stillness. Holly felt rejuvenated, the magic in the area already easing a few months of worries even before performing the Ritual.
Holly knew the reminder might cause her friend pain, but she thought this jolt might help him remember things. She cast a long look at Artemis. "This is where we first met." The details of that adventure having already been recounted previously, the infamy of the memory had some of the effect Holly was hoping for. Artemis cringed at the memory of his treatment of Holly and the fairies whom he now called friends, and the shame of having been so cruel and callous swept over him. He realized he had hurt someone whom he was learning was dear to him, even though he did not fully feel it yet, He hung his head and his shoulders drooped. No word came out of him as shame of his actions overcame him.
Holly saw how sorry Artemis was about the actions of his old self. Her helmet having been doffed a few seconds after they landed so she could gulp in the sweetness of the night air, she floated up a few feet, tucked her right hand under his chin and lifted up his face to meet hers. "I'm sorry to bring up the memory, but if it weren't for what you did we would never have met you, Artemis, and you would not have been around to help us when we needed help." She didn't have to say that this was the first time she saw a strong emotional reaction from him. Perhaps I'm very close, she thought, along with a fleeting impression as to how bright his startlingly blue eyes were tonight. He must be feeling the magic of this place as I am, she surmised.
She walked off to a spot where she felt the magic to be strongest. Watching her slim figure moving away from him in the moonlight, a sudden ominous feeling cast its shadow over him, for what he didn't know. What's happening to me, he thought, I, Artemis Fowl, am always in control of myself.
Urged on by a small thought creeping into his consciousness, he called out, "Holly what will you do when I'm... when you've completed what you need to do?" Holly was busy with her preparations for the Ritual and did not notice the slight desperation in his voice. She replied, "Oh, I'm not sure yet what I'll be doing. I guess I'll go back and rejoin the LEP and do what I'm trained to do." After this she kneeled to plant the acorn in the hallowed ground, and began with the Ritual. Shortly after this she was surrounded by an aura while her magic was renewed.
Holly really is beautiful and magical, he contemplated on seeing his friend surrounded by the ethereal glow. She has been at my side every waking moment. I will miss her strength and her calming presence when she rejoins her People, possibly never to see much of her again.
The ominous feeling he felt before turned into full panic at this realization. With that came a flood of his missing memories, as he relived the past several years from their first unfortunate meeting to this moment. All the events that Butler and Holly recounted these few weeks were once again part of him, as were his feelings during those events. The memory of these and what he felt came crashing into his consciousness, and he was overcome.
With a hoarse cry he was flung to the ground, so overwhelmed was he by this unlocking of so many years. A lesser mind would have broken under the strain. I will not be mastered by this, he told himself, as he tried to rise from the crouch into which he was forced. Holly flung her helmet aside and was immediately beside him. She rolled him onto his back so she could check on him. What she saw tore at her heart: there was pure terror and pain on her friend's countenance. She gently cradled his head in her small hands, wishing with all her heart for this to pass. Her own face was filled with anguish.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, fear and guilt driving him to seek comfort from the one person who could truly give comfort to him. His eyes had a wild look in them. "Holly, it was ghastly, what I just experienced..." He trailed off, hunting for words to express what he had just gone through but failing. "I remember now everything that happened these few years. My father disappearing, and that we thought he was dead. My mother's descent into madness. My evil self kidnapping you for ransom. Being chased by those pheromone crazy trolls. Goblins shooting at us in Siberia. Getting crushed to near death by that gorilla." He breathlessly mentioned a few of the more terrifying experiences, and also those where he behaved less than honorably. The first memories to come back were the more frightening and shameful ones. Holly could only hold on to his face and comfort him by her presence.
Slowly she noticed his face relax somewhat, the lines easing. The wild look in his eyes left and his blue eyes became softer. A genuine smile broke onto his face as the more joyous memories came flooding back.
"I do also remember outsmarting the LEP numerous times, especially Foaly," followed by a chuckle. Although this memory was not exactly good in the sense of being in the right, Holly was happy to hear Artemis' joyful memories were also returning. "I know I shouldn't gloat over that, but there is great satisfaction in it." As more memories were processed, he continued, "We made a great team, you, Butler, Mulch, Foaly and I. We saved Haven from the goblin insurrection. We rescued my father from the clutches of the Mafia. We outsmarted Spiro and stole the cube back. And most of all after a long struggle we finally defeated Opal. What we went through was harrowing but I must admit we had great moments." At this Holly knew her friend's memories had truly returned and he was on his way to being himself again.
All the despondency and desperation of these many months were washed away by this realization. She both laughed and cried happy tears, hugging Artemis and laying her head on his chest, soaking his shirt. After so long she was finally free of all concerns for her friend. There was only one thing she wished he would bring up, something she thought they had before she lost him half a year ago, that did not come about because the circumstances were not right for them then. Her more mature self was content with seeing her friend whole again, however.
All the times he had been with Holly, with all their shared joys and hardships, came back to him next. He also remembered all the occasions when he almost lost Holly, whom he now realized was his best friend. Artemis, seeing how much all this concern over him had cost her, wanted to tell Holly of his gratitude, hoping that would relieve what he perceived as great sorrow. But he did not know to express it. "Friendship isn't a science, Mud Boy. Just do what you think is right, " he remembered Holly saying long ago. So he blurted what he was thinking. "Holly I also have to thank you for all that you've done for us, rescuing my father, bringing my mother's sanity back, and saving me countless times. Saving Butler a few times, too. You believed I would come back after I died, and you were always around when I needed you." He paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "You also gave me a moral compass which I was lacking. I'm a much better person because of you." She raised her tear streaked but smiling face to see the grateful look on his. "You were worth all the trouble, Mud Boy. Life would have been dull without all the scrapes we were in." Unable to say anything more at the moment out of emotion, she hugged him even tighter and resumed soaking his shirt front with her tears.
Having someone cry her heart out to him while hugging him tightly was a new experience for Artemis, and he had no prior knowledge from which to draw. Holly's sobs forced their way, having been repressed for so long. "We had very little to hope for when you died trying to save everyone. When you came back to us but still weren't yourself we were despondent, Everything we tried didn't seem to work. It wasn't until now that I realize I have my Arty back." The sobs were coming infrequently now. In a quiet voice, she continued, "Butler and Juliet, your family, even Foaly, we all missed you." And in an even smaller voice she said, "I missed you. "
The plaintiveness of her voice wounded him, another new feeling, adding to the turmoil his soul was already in. Artemis fought the urge but lost, stroking her close-cropped hair with one hand, the other still holding her shoulder. "But I'm fully myself again, Holly. If I am given the chance, I will never leave you."
Holly's sobbing stopped, and so did the flow of tears. The gesture and his words did not go unnoticed. Unknown to Artemis, stroking someone's hair is a very intimate gesture for fairies, even more intimate than the gesture means for humans. She could not suppress a smile and treasured the moment.
Holly's hair was close to his face so the time he last said goodbye to her, before foiling Opal's grand scheme at the Gate, came back to him. She heard Artemis chuckle and mutter "grass and citrus". Holly lifted her head from Artemis' chest, and her smile grew a fraction, holding a slight question in her eyes. "That scent is your own and always brings me back memories of you." he explained. If there was anything as intimate to fairies as stroking someone's hair, it was knowing their signature scent. She gazed at his face from a few inches away. The enchantment of the place, the magic overflowing within her, and the bewilderingly miraculous recovery of her friend all took hold.
Artemis was equally affected, and his emotions were still raw by suddenly having several years of his life back. He looked into her elfin eyes and just as in another time, Artemis was hypnotized by them. He saw in them something he thought he had lost before because of his deviousness. Again his lack of experience made this moment awkward for him, even if he desperately needed to tell her something.
He kept his hand on her auburn hair. "Holly, I now realize what brought back all my memories," he stumbled into saying. A brief questioning look was added to her warm smile . "I thought I lost you so many times. The thought of losing you once again, perhaps for good this time, was too much to bear." Holly had never been so happy. "You're not getting rid of me too easily, Artemis Fowl!" And she kissed him.
Sparks of magic surrounded the pair. This time there were no urgent matters to attend to or truths to confront. Only the two of them existed.
Presently they gradually became aware of a voice from Holly's helmet. "Holly, are you all right?", they heard Foley squawking. "You said you were going out and it's been an hour since I heard from you, I just wanted to be sure you were safe!"
Artemis, who had never been deliriously happy until now, shouted "We are doing very well, Foaly! It's great to hear your voice!" What, Artemis with Holly?, thought the centaur, Not a bad idea, might bring some memories back. "Holly, how is Artemis doing since he's there with you. He sounds... different. Is he any better?" Holly, who was also euphoric, shouted back laughingly, "We couldn't be any better!" Foaly had to laugh to himself, they at least seemed to be having a great time. Something in their tone though made him suspect there was another thing that occurred, as to what he couldn't put his fingers and hooves on yet.
Artemis had not let go of Holly. He half jokingly asked her, loud enough for Foaly to hear, "Does this mean I might be able to work with Foaly on one of his projects? He's going to need all the help he can get. Besides my brain needs something to work on." Holly thought of all the wonderful contributions such a partnership would accomplish, if only they could get over each others' ego. She smiled and said, "I think that can be arranged." He had a somewhat more serious follow up question in a lower voice. "May I ask you for another favor? Or as that idiot Orion would say, may I crave a boon of thee?" Mindful of Foaly possibly overhearing their conversation, Artemis whispered the favor in her ear. This prompted the sweetest smile of all from Holly, who looked much younger now than her many years. She half teasingly exclaimed, "I think that can be arranged, too!". Foaly heard a few giggles from her but heard no further conversation as she kissed Artemis again.
Half a year later, Artemis was in his study. He was talking to Foaly who had just shown up on the communications screen. Elf technology, or rather centaur-created, thought Foaly smugly. Powered by my designs for upgraded power plants, boasted Artemis to himself, as is much of what Haven is using now. He fondly remembered working with the fairies to assure their city had a reliable and endless power supply. So much energy around the city that could be tapped, in the Earth's interior. He had come to the conclusion that without boundless supplies of power there would be no technological advancement.
"Looks like you've done so much work in the past half year, Artemis. Not just here in Haven but in other places as well," said the centaur, not without some awe at how much the brilliant young man in front of him had accomplished.
"Thanks, old friend. I'm glad we could collaborate on all these projects. My ideas using your technology and resources," replied Artemis. "After all, I can't manufacture or transport materials. For example manufacturing the power plant and transporting the fuel here is rather tricky." He was thinking of a small Thorium reactor, with an output enough to power a small city, but radiation of any sort was especially toxic to fairies. He had to settle for designing a small, quiet but extremely efficient gas power plant. Eventually we can find some natural gas source and tap that. For now I'll need help from the fairies to keep this supplied, he thought.
Foaly asked, "Isn't powering Fowl Manor with that power plant, a bit of overkill?". "It's not overkill if you consider my plans for connecting our worlds, using this place as a portal, and a launching pad to explore nearby areas. This complex when completed will need much more power than a typical home, " replied the human. Foaly asked whether solar or wind power would have been enough. Artemis sniffed, offended by the suggestion, "Those power sources are not reliable enough, and would require an enormous amount of land which we don't have nearby. I had to relocate many of the plot owners with whom we divided our land, just so we can have some privacy for what we're building, and that was not easy. Besides how would you feel if some of your LEP officers were caught in those wind turbines, not to mention your transports? It's bad enough with the raptors getting caught in those blades."
Foaly changed the subject. "I also wanted to congratulate you on the commendation by the Elf Council, for work benefiting the People." "Yes, my other work is dear to me. It is inevitable, my friend, that humans and fairies eventually come into contact once more. When that happens we want them to have good relations. In the meantime, I believe it would be good for elves to come up to the surface and see more of the world . Perhaps their long lost memory of the surface will return and they would learn to trust humans."
"How will you manage to do that?," inquired the centaur? Artemis replied,"I've of course presented my plans to the Council. It was also crucial that some of the banking systems came back online, and it helped that the Swiss bankers have worked with the Fowl family for so many years. I've been able to tap the Fowler wealth I've accumulated. I've purchased wide tracts of land in various ecosystems so the fairies can visit undetected. The fairies of course will be able to help guard those tracts of land from encroachment. " He paused. "Just imagine you and the elves being able to visit snow capped Himalayan peaks, old California forests with giant trees, the Amazon jungle, endless Montana prairie, even a remote tropical island." Foaly was already dreaming of taking his family to those places, especially the island resort that was about to come online. He tried not to show excitement at the thought, but his tail swishing wildly gave him away.
"Aren't there people already living there?" Artemis smiled at another revelation for Foaly. "Some of these tracts are so remote, humans will have a difficult time getting there. There are some tribes in the jungles but they already have been in contact with elves before, long ago as can be seen in their oral tradition. Even if they claim to have seen elves, modern humans will only ignore those claims. By the way, I've discovered the Hobbits of New Zealand and I believe they are long lost cousins of the People. They just don't use much technology and so have not been discovered by humans. " Foaly had to digest that news later.
"When humans finally accept the presence of the fairies and the need to coexist with them, I think it's a good idea for that announcement to start from the most peaceable humans. That's why we visited the monks in Tibet. That visit went very well, as their written Tradition does show contact with fairies over the millennia. They're also capable of keeping secrets until the time is right." Artemis remembered they were also the only people who were not cowed by Butler's size.
Foaly was extremely happy at the thought of not being limited to an underground existence, and maybe finally, peace between the two races. "Since we now have all those places to visit, we'll need a reliable and hidden way of transporting elves from underground to those places. I'm looking forward to working with you on much better tunnels allowing our transports to navigate them without the present risk. " Artemis smiled even more at the thought of a challenge. "I'm surprised you Haven citizens have not thought of that before." Foaly did smile sheepishly. "We didn't have your knowledge or ideas. More importantly we didn't have a human friend we could work with and act as a bridge between our worlds, if it came to our being discovered. You're going to be the first Ambassador between fairies and humans, Artemis."
Artemis felt that it really was worthwhile being on the side of good. Becoming Ambassador between their two peoples was a dream he had even before that final battle with Opal. It didn't hurt that he expected a substantial return on his investment, especially once the resorts catering to elves were in place. He would also profit from managing the estates – he, Artemis Fowl, would provide the management and direction, and the fairies would provide the labor. But more importantly he was looking at the future of fairies and humans living together and helping each other. He had come to respect the fairies for their intelligence, wisdom, industriousness, and especially their compassion for all living things. After all, he had one of the best examples of their race beside him everyday for the rest of his life. He always measured his ideas by how much it would benefit her or make her happy.
"Oh, Hi Holly! Good to see you're looking very well," greeted Foaly. She really is looking much younger since Artemis's memories fully returned, he observed. I've never seen her happier. Artemis turned around to see a face very dear to him. "Hi Foaly! How are Caballine and the kids doing? You and old Mud Boy here wrapped up your plans to allow more of us elves to see the world?" She was smiling radiantly and gave Artemis a quick kiss. "Sorry I'm a little late, Arty. Your brothers hid my helmet as a prank." Artemis reddened - he wasn't used to public displays of affection. He cast a quick embarrassed glance at Foaly, who was smiling broadly. After six months of having known this, it never ceases to amaze me that two of my best friends are together, thought the centaur. He had thought better than to post this tidbit on his blog on .gnom
"The kids are growing like weeds. And Caballine sends you her love," said Foaly. "Artemis and I were just outlining plans for a better future before getting down to business." "Thanks for keeping Artemis working," replied Holly. "Good to keep him busy so his devious brain doesn't come up with ideas to scam some elves out of their money," she joked. They had discussed the money side of his plans, and Holly thought it was good to get a fair return for the fortune he had spent. Artemis didn't let her know exactly how fair the return was, especially for him.
A short message came in through the helmet. "My ride is coming in a minute," said Holly. As she said this an LEP shuttle materialized inside the walled compound. It was still dark outside so nobody heard or saw the shuttle. "I'll see you tonight, Arty." She kissed him on the forehead and made for the door.
Myles and Beckett appeared. "Bye, Aunt Holly. See you tonight!" They didn't tell her about what they added to her shampoo, of course. Their aunt was in for a surprise over her hair when she woke up in the morning. They also greeted Foaly. "Hi, Donkey – Boy. Say Hello to Mayne for us!" They had met Foaly's nephew a few times and thought him cool. "OK you young scoundrels, that's Mister Donkey Boy to you. Scat!", shouted Foley, but amusedly, and the younger Fowl kids ran away laughing.
"Today is the last of Holly's two weeks of work with the LEP," Artemis explained. "Tomorrow she goes on a week's break. We're going to visit again the island resort I told .you about. Butler is already there, making sure everything is secure and running smoothly. He makes a great manager, too. He and Juliet are invaluable as my right and left hand in managing these future fairy resorts." Good thing, too, thought Artemis, as Butler won't have to exert himself too much in that new capacity. He chuckled at the thought of Butler scaring the elf contingent that visited the mountain resort a few weeks back. He can still intimidate, even if he can't run very far.
These fairy hideaways or resorts are going to be excellent, he thought. Powered by my high efficiency power plants, or to avoid polluting the surroundings eventually they'll use the advanced designs for alternate energy sources Foaly and I are designing. Some will be self sustaining, growing their own pesticide free food, something that his fairy friends will appreciate and which won't poison their delicate systems. But most of all they will offer a view of nature unspoiled, with some of the comforts of home.
"Thank you, Foaly, for letting us use a shuttle for our visits." Foaly replied, "We want to show how grateful we are for all you've done for the People and for all that you will do for us in the future." Of course one week was much too long than was needed to make sure the island fairy resort was in working order. With Butler and Juliet there nothing will be left to chance, and the whole complex would already be working like clockwork, much like one of Butler's "operations" when he was younger. Artemis and Holly were planning to spend the rest of the week doing nothing, on the beach. Perhaps they can catch a sunset together, which will be another new experience for me.
This is going to be a great life with Holly, his family and his friends, he smiled to himself, finally happy.
THE END